The Robertsons are Second

Jesus Christ is first.

Watch this with your family; it's worth it.




For clarification, Jep is the youngest (4th) brother and Reed is the oldest of son of Jase (the 2nd oldest brother).

Random Christmas Thoughts 12/22/13

• Merry Christmas, everyone!
• This is your annual reminder that Xmas does mean you're x-ing out Christ from Christmas.  The X is Xmas is not a an "x" at all but the Greek letter "chi" (pronounced sort of like "key") from which we get the "ch" in Christ.  It's simply an abbreviation.  Taking Christ out of Christmas happens on Black Friday.  Speaking of which…
• As of today, all of the Christmas presents are wrapped and under the tree (a little later than most years) and my Christmas gift spreadsheets are balanced and finalized.  There are times when I'm feeling especially materialistic and shallow in which I feel bad that my kids don't have bigger and better.  But really the Lord has provided wonderfully for them, not just at Christmastime but around the year.
• That said, my love language is definitely giving, and nothing gives me more joy than to think of my children opening presents.  I wrap all of the presents myself and I never put a present under the tree for me.  First, I don't remember my Dad having presents under the tree.  Second, I don't want to be distracted from seeing a single opening among my five kids.
• We always open presents first thing Christmas morning.  Unless Christmas falls on a Sunday and then we open after we get home from Church.
• Our church Christmas program was canceled last night because of the ice and extreme cold.  It was the right call but we sure did miss it.  And this is the first year in quite awhile that we don't have a Christmas eve service.  The weather sure didn't cooperate with our schedule!

Another Hobbit Production Blog

Here's another great little video peeking behind the scenes of The Hobbit production.  Peter Jackson and his crew have that sense of humor you get when you're up too late and everything becomes funny because you're completely exhausted.

The second Hobbit film hits theaters this Friday.

Mandela the Saint?

Former South African President Nelson Mandela has died today.  As expected, there is an outpouring of grief for the 20th century icon and an endless parade of commendation for the man.  President Obama said this afternoon that Mandela was one of the most "profoundly good human beings."

Really?

Now, of course Mandela was a profoundly important individual on the world's political landscape.  And to the point that he helped end apartheid, the official policy of racial separation and discrimination in South Africa, Mandela will always be associated with virtue and goodness to some degree.

But let's not gloss over the whole story in the rush to make him a saint.

First of all, I'm not convinced his own family would call him "profoundly good."  He was a serial adulterer and married three times.  Second, he was a communist.  He was tried and found guilty for treason because of his communist connections, which at the time, and afterward, he strongly denied.  But it has since been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mandela and his organizations were trained, supported by, and loyal to Communist leaders in Moscow and elsewhere.  Third, he was a terrorist leader.  The US State Department recognized his organizations as terror groups which murdered/executed people for political reasons.  One of the cruelest murders imaginable, "necklacing," where a victim is beaten into submission, tortured, then has a burning tire placed around their neck or body which cooks them alive, began with Mandela's ANC and was openly endorsed by Mandela's second wife, then head of the ANC while Mandela was in prison.

Is Mandela as bad as Adolf Hitler?  Of course not.  In fact, Mandela might be praised for some parts of his life.  But many other people have been long-suffering political prisoners for good causes without the checkered personal morality of Nelson Mandela.

I'm just saying that someone so closely tied to a lifetime of adultery, communist revolution, murder, and violence shouldn't receive such a one-sided eulogy.

Another Great Smarter Every Day Video

Destin from the youtube series "Smarter Every Day" posted another great video on butterflies.  Since many of you may not be familiar with "Smarter Every Day," I thought this particular video would be a good introduction.  Destin talks a little about his background, shows his goofy personality, includes lots of cool science, and slips in a bit of evangelism too.

And yes, that's a silhouette of Reepicheep at the end.

Psalm 111:2  "Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them."






He's my favorite Christian rocket scientist youtuber.